© Getty
A homeless man sleeps on the pavement while a woman wears a protective mask to help stop the spread of the deadly virus.
Heating during the day. Broadband. A laptop. A job you can do at home. Enough disposable income to stockpile food and medicine. A freezer. The right to full sick pay from day one.
All things we would rely on if ordered to self-isolate, or work from home, due to the coronavirus.
And all things that might not be available to people on low incomes or in precarious work.
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All the latest coronavirus news and analysis
LIVE: UK cases rises up to 53 (Independent)
Death rate worse than expected (Business Insider)
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For those who are just about scraping by, illness or workplace closures could be far more than just an inconvenience – while, at the other end of the spectrum, the virus has been spread across the globe (albeit unwittingly) as people take half-term ski holidays and attend international conferences.
© Russell Cheyne / Reuters
People wearing masks walk at the castle esplanade in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain March 2, 2020. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
Like everything, Covid-19 is dividing the rich from the poor.
Charity Turn2us helps people in financial hardship.
Gallery: Coronavirus around the world (Photos)
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People wearing face masks cross a road in Shanghai, China, on March 2.
A paramedic wearing a protective suit sanitizes the hands of people in Ashkelon, Israel, on March 2.
Personnel from the health ministry check tourists' temperatures and for any symptoms at the Rumichaca border bridge in Tulcán, Ecuador, on March 1.
A South Korean soldier wearing protective gear sanitizes a street in front of the city hall in Daegu on March 2.
Students of Hanoi National University of Education attend the first day of classes after returning to the university, which was closed for over a month due to the coronavirus outbreak, in Hanoi, Vietnam, on March 2.
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference on the coronavirus outbreak as (L-R) U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield and U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams look on, at the White House on Feb. 29.
Pedestrians wearing face masks cross a square in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 29.
A police officer wears a protective face mask on the street in Mexico City, Mexico, on Feb. 29.
A member of the Iraqi security forces wears a protective face mask in Baghdad on Feb. 29.
A researcher works in a lab that is developing testing for the COVID-19 at the Hackensack Meridian Health Center for Discovery and Innovation in Nutley, New Jersey, U.S., on Feb 28. The facility develops novel therapies for some of the worlds most difficult diseases.
A health worker takes part in a drill to handle suspected carriers of coronavirus, at a hotel in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on Feb. 26.
Personnel wearing protective gear spray anti-septic solution at a traditional market in Seoul on Feb. 26.
Spanish police officers patrol outside the H10 Costa Adeje Palace hotel in Tenerife, Canary Island, Spain, on Feb. 25.
South Korean President Moon Jae-in talks during a special government meeting to discuss measures to prevent the further spread of COVID-19, at the Daegu City Hall in Daegu on Feb. 25.
Fans wear masks at Stadio San Paolo in Naples, Italy, on Feb. 25, prior to the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg match between SSC Napoli and FC Barcelona.
A newly wed couple wear protective masks as they take photos with family in Hong Kong on Feb. 24.
Two men ride a bike as they wear protective masks in Najaf, Iraq, on Feb. 24.
Bruce Aylward of the World Health Organization (WHO) attends a news conference on the WHO-China Joint Mission on coronavirus in Beijing, on Feb. 24.
U.N. Secretary General António Guterres speaks during an update on the situation at the WHO headquarters in Geneva, on Feb. 24.
A street vendor sells face masks outside a railway station in Milan, Italy, on Feb. 24.
Figures depicting coronavirus and "carnevals-virus" are seen at the Shrove Monday celebrations in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Feb. 24.
A reveler wears protective face mask at the Venice Carnival, the last days of which were called off after third death was reported in the country, in Italy on Feb. 23.
Media personnel chase after a passenger (C) who disembarked from the Diamond Princess cruise ship at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, on Feb. 19.
Indians who were airlifted from Wuhan wait to collect their release certificates before leaving the ITBP quarantine facility in New Delhi, India, on Feb. 17.
Military medics stand in a formation after deplaning from a transport aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) at the Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 17.
A teacher gives a lecture with the help of her smart phone during an online class at a middle school in Donghai, China, on Feb. 17.
Pictures of Pakistani students studying in Wuhan, China, are displayed by their family members during a demonstration in Lahore, Pakistan, on Feb. 16. The family members are demanding the evacuation of their relatives.
A U.S. passenger gives a thumbs up to reporters while arriving at the Haneda Airport in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 17, after disembarking in Yokohama from the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Nepalese nationals who were in Wuhan walk out from a Nepal Airlines plane at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu, on Feb. 16. The chartered plane brought back 175 nationals from Hubei province.
A classroom is cleaned in preparation for students' return to school in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Feb. 15.
A woman is seen wearing a protective mask as she holds a rose on Valentine's Day, while waiting for the subway at a station during rush hour in Beijing, on Feb. 14.
An employee receives payment from a customer through a container on a stick, in Beijing on Feb. 12. A ramp has also been set up to deliver food from the counter.
A laboratory technician helps a colleague remove the protective suit after leaving a laboratory in Shenyang, China, on Feb. 12.
Members of the media stand near the cruise ship Diamond Princess, where dozens of passengers were tested positive for coronavirus, at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama on Feb. 11.
A Malaysian Royal Guard wears a protective mask as he stands guard outside National Palace in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Feb. 10.
Workers produce protective clothing at a factory in Wuxi, China, on Feb. 8. The factory, which previously produced suits and sportswear, switched to production of protective clothing as demand increased due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
A Hindu devotee wears a mask as she carries a milk pot on her head at a shrine in Batu Caves during the Thaipusam festival in Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 8.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam speaks to the media during a press conference on the coronavirus situation in Hong Kong on Feb. 8. Lam said that the government has bought 48 million masks and received 17 million more from China to counter the shortage of masks in Hong Kong.
South Korean Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun has his temperature checked during a visit to a clinic in Gyeonggi, South Korea, on Feb. 8.
Flight attendants wearing protective clothing and masks serve snacks to Canadians, who had been evacuated from China due to the outbreak of novel Coronavirus on an American charter plane, on another aircraft taking them to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton from the Vancouver International Airport in Richmond, Canada, on Feb. 7.
Workers in protective gear are seen on Japan Coast Guard boats in Yokohama, on Feb. 5, bringing patients from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship.
Beds are set up at an exhibition center, which was converted into a hospital, in Wuhan on Feb. 4.
This handout photo released by Malaysia's Ministry of Health shows citizens being directed onto a bus by health officials as they arrive at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Malaysia in Feb. 4.
Members of the Association for Sri Lanka and China Social and Cultural Cooperation (ASLCSCC) hold candles during a vigil to pray for people who are suffering from coronavirus across the world, in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Feb. 1.
(L-R) Sabine Hagenauer of the infection department at the 4th medical department of Kaiser Franz Josef Hospital, Michael Binder, medical director of the Vienna Hospital Association, and Judith Aberle of the department of virology, Medical University Vienna, address a press conference at Kaiser-Franz-Josef hospital in Vienna, Austria, on Jan. 26. A Chinese flight attendant was quarantined in the hospital with symptoms of flu, in what authorities suspected as the first coronavirus case in the country.
Dozens of diggers work to build a new hospital in Wuhan, on Jan. 25. Due to the large number of infected people, the government decided to establish a temporary 1,000-bed hospital.
Campaigns officer Liam Evans told HuffPost UK: “If you are living paycheque to paycheque, you will not have the ability to buy food in bulk, or if you do not have a freezer, you will be unable to store food for a long time.
“Both these things are vital if you are self-isolating.”
Health secretary Matt Hancock announced on Tuesday that the number of UK cases had risen to 51, and prime minister Boris Johnson is expecting as many as one-in-five people to be absent from work at the peak of the outbreak.
But Turn2us says those who are “just about managing” could be tipped into crisis should they fall ill, or have to self-isolate for medical reasons.
Related: Can we get a vaccine early? How the ultra-rich are preparing for the virus (Bloomberg)
© Bloomberg
Poorer households are unlikely to be able to stockpile supplies of food and medication, leaving them exposed should stock in shops and pharmacies dwindle.
The “panic” around the potential spread of the disease has revealed the stark contrast between those who are able to properly prepare and those who aren’t, Evans said.
“People working practical and manual jobs on zero-hour contracts will not have the luxury of working from home,” he added.
“This could result in a serious loss of income and drag hundreds of thousands of people into poverty.”
© Liam Evans
Liam Evans, from Turn2us
The additional costs associated with working from home – higher heating bills, the cost of internet access and simple logistics – are not easily accessible for lower-income workers, many of whom are unable to do their jobs at all outside of their usual working environment.
Helen Barnard, deputy director at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, told HuffPost UK: “There are many people, including those working as delivery drivers or in warehouses, or as carers, who have no good options.”
To make matters worse, Barnard said disabled people, those with ongoing and underlying health conditions, and those who look after them could be among the worst-hit in health terms.
“People on low incomes are much more likely to be part of these groups,” she told HuffPost UK.
“They are among those who are at higher risk of getting the virus, and of it being more serious, yet they are also the least equipped to deal with its impact.
“People who are just about making ends meet every month and are struggling to pay the bills are unlikely to have much spare resource.
“For those who are just about managing to stay afloat, if they need to stay off work for two weeks and don’t get very much sick pay, that could be the thing that tips them over the edge and into debt.”
According to Bloomberg, wealthy Americans have enquired about the possibility of accessing a potential vaccine early – but it will be “months at the earliest” before one is even developed, the UK government has said.
But for those without much disposable cash, even accessing adequate supplies of vital daily medication is a struggle.
© Joseph Rowntree Foundation
Helen Barnard, Joseph Rowntree Foundation deputy director
“There seems to be very little in the way of advice about accessing supplies of medication [in case of needing to self-isolate], and many doctors will not prescribe large supplies of medication,” Barnard added.
“Advice around stockpiling and making sure you have adequate supplies at home [of food and medicine] is based around an assumption that everyone has a buffer. And lots of people do not.”
Self-employed people who rely on Universal Credit to top up their earnings could also take a hit, the foundation believes.
“There is a minimum income threshold that has to be met, so anyone who is their own boss and relies on the benefit faces losing out too,” Barnard said.
“All of this highlights the need for a strong labour market – it provides people with resilience in times of emergency, and it is the people on lower incomes who do not have that resilience now.”
On Tuesday, Citizens Advice urged the government to protect the “millions of workers who may be pushed into financial hardship” through self-isolation.
The charity, which offers advice nationwide on a range of issues from housing to debt, wants ministers to clarify sick pay rights and make sure people can access quick financial support if they are not eligible for statutory sick pay.
“No one should fear getting ill or risk their health because they won’t be able to pay their bills, but this will be the reality for millions of workers if the coronavirus outbreak worsens,” said Dame Gillian Guy, Citizens Advice chief executive.
“Problems with our system for sick pay are long-standing. Even for those eligible for statutory sick pay, at just £400 a month it may not be enough to cover essential living costs, leaving them with the impossible choice of ignoring advice to self-isolate or continuing to work while unwell.
“The government must clarify sick pay rights for workers and ensure the benefits system can respond flexibly so that people have enough to make ends meet if they do fall ill.”
MPs were told that workers not eligible to receive sick pay could claim Universal Credit – but under the current system, initial claimants face a five-week wait for their first payment.
Evans said the circumstances highlight the need for welfare reform – something Turn2us has campaigned for.
“[There is a] dire need for a welfare state that is timely and responsive, which is another reason to end the five-week wait for Universal Credit,” he added.
Hancock told the Commons on Tuesday the government’s approach was to “plan for the worst and work for the best”.
“Our plans include not just the most likely case but the reasonable worst case,” he added.
“We will identify and support the most vulnerable and if necessary we will take some of the actions set out in today’s plan to reduce the impact of absentees and to lessen the impact on our economy and supply chains.”